down, stranding dozens of drivers from our abc station kmgh, molly hendrickson right there. >> we're here along i-70 eastbound where you can see crews are stopping people, it telling them they need to turn around. beyond this point nearly 400 miles of interstate have been closed since early this morning. that's all the way to the kansas state line. blowing snow and cross winds creating conditions that are impassable. >> reporter: and air travelers didn't have it much better. more than 100 flights canceled out of denver. the field in last night's world cup qualifying match looked like a hockey rink. the u.s. team did pull off a win, but only after they had to use a yellow ball so they could see it in that sea of white. >> it was difficult to see anything. but credit to them. we got the game done. >> reporter: from colorado to massachusetts, people are sick of it. in michigan, they took out their frustrations by making a bonfire out of a snowman. >> it went a lot faster than i thought it was going to go. i wish all the rest of the snow would go with it.

>> pretty dark there. a lot of people are asking the same question, when does spring get here? tonight the major storm, when does it hit? >> spring not soon for a lot of folks. let's get to the timing of this storm. the low pressure system creating this havoc moves through kansas, tonight kansas city through early sunday, st. louis, and then look for central illinois and indiana to get into that big snow and east coast asking come on it can't be coming here. a rain/snow mix will be sloppy into the beginning of mark. >> what kind of snow are we talking about? >> significant snow. in denver it snows in march that's normal. but kansas city, does not get this. we'll see historic snow likely from st. louis to indianapolis. that area in the eight to 12 inch range, that also going to happen in the mountains of west virginia. >> about the tornadoes we mentioned at the top, a real fear tonight some. >> tonight a severe weather threat from the gulf coast, new orleans, tallahassee included, talking isolated tornadoes, more of a damaging wind situation and a lot of rain.

we could see flooding. >> you're tracking it through "gma" in the morning. >> we're going to turn to the other reason so many were looking to the sky, a bright light streaking across the horizon, that meteor sighting this video from maryland showing what people saw along the east coast. so many of you on twitter asking about it. tonight here lindsey janet found the meteor that comes weeks after the giant russian meteor right as we ask is our own warning system ready. >> reporter: security cameras capture last night's meteor lighting up the night sky over the east coast. scientists confirm that this fireball was, in fact, a meteor, about the size of a small refrigerator. it comes a month after a much larger meteorite crashed into this russian village. >> the one in russian was a large asteroid, 60 feet across, and detonated in the atmosphere almost like nuclear bomb without the radiation. >> reporter: what happened in russia seems like the stuff of hollywood movies like

"armageddon." scientists in this country think we should better prepare for the asteroids or meteors they call city killers. president obama's top scientists telling congress this week we're behind. >> the number of undetected potential city killers is very large. it's in the range of about 10,000 or more. >> reporter: better detection of these objects could help us evacuate target areas and one day even redirect their path. scientists tell us like events we saw in russia happen once in a century. most meteors are much smaller and land in places where they can do no harm. some scientists say last night's meteor landed in the atlantic ocean somewhere. >> we will never know. a lot of people with their eyes to the sky. we're going to turn to a new development in the story we've been following on "world news." the killing of a prison official by a suspect who came to his front door, rang the ball belle and shot him. evidence collected at the scene of a high speed car chase and

shoot-out that followed in texas, does link the gunman evan ebel to the murder in colorado. shell casings at both sites appear to be the same. a stunning turn in another case, the new york man who just two days ago walked out of prison a free man, after serving more than two decades behind bars for a murder he didn't commit, on his first full day of freedom he suffered a heart attack. here's abc's tonya rivera now. >> reporter: just one day after david ranta's release after being cleared of a murder he spent two decades behind bars he suffered a massive heart attack. his attorney says the 58-year-old is recovering in a new york city hospital. the accumulated trauma of being falsely convicted and incarcerated for 23 years, coupled with the intense emotions surrounding his release, has had a profound impact on his health. that emotion on full display in court as a new york judge exonerated ranta. >> the defendant's motion to

vacate the justice of conviction is granted. >> this is overwhelming. >> reporter: he had been convicted in a 1990 killing of a brooklyn rabbi werzberge during a botched robbery. the crime stunned new york's hasidic community and reverberated throughout the city. ranta maintained his innocence. recently, the case began to crumble. a witness came forward saying he had been coached. a subsequent investigation found that police mishandled the case. >> this is a travesty of justice from the beginning. >> reporter: the family said they always believed his release would come. >> i knew it would. i knew it would. >> reporter: tonight, that family is by his bedside. ranta is now in stable condition and awaiting a second heart surgery. his lawyer tells us well wishes from all over the world have been pouring in, david, and that ranta is very appreciative of the support. >> the family by his side as they've been for years. thank you. from italy this evening, a

truly historic image. two living popes together for the first time in hundreds of years. the newly appointed pope francis leaving the vatican by helicopter to visit the man he replaced pope benedict. the two men praying together and calling each other brothers. nick schifrin tonight on the historic meeting. >> reporter: in the 2000-year history of the catholic church, this may be a first. one pope embracing a former pope. pope francis made the pilgrimage to pope emeritus' retreat outside of rome. but there was no ring kissing. when benedict directs the new pope to place of honor, francis refuses, instead asking the two to pray together. today was designed to show a seamless transition. francis gave thanks, a madonna of humility as a gift. benedict renewing his vow not to interfere with the new papacy. but the vatican is clearly worried about the image of two popes. even though the faithful were waiting outside, the two didn't appear in public.

>> they probably wisely presumed, this is not the image we want to give the world. we don't want to make it seem like we're running a tag team pontificate here. >> reporter: we don't know what they discussed, but there's a lot to talk about. benedict left a church reeling from a series of scandals. >> it would be natural every now and then ask him for some kind of advice. however, i have a feeling francis will go his own way on things. >> reporter: today was our first real chance to see benedict since he resigned. he looked fragile, so much frailer than the man once known as god's rottweiler. soon these two popes will both live inside the vatican. benedict moving into this converted convent. if today is an example, they will clearly show each other love and respect. as francis put it, the two are brothers. nick schifrin, abc news, london. >> our thanks to nick tonight. back in washington this evening, another historic image. the senate actually passing a budget, the first time that's happened in four years. we asked tonight, will it make

an ounce of a difference? here's reena ninan from the capitol. >> reporter: congress begins its spring break today. but they had to pull an all-nighter to get there. 13 hours of debate. >> doing this has been a herculean feat. >> reporter: and for the first time in four years, the senate passed a budget. even the republican minority leader thought it was a healthy debate. >> one of the senate's finest days in recent years. >> reporter: the senate bill calls for $1 trillion in new taxes over the next ten years. with significantly less spending cuts than the house plan. the budget vote fell along party lines. not a single republican voted in favor. and four democrats facing re-election voted against it. this budget isn't binding, just a blueprint. so now the senate will have to work with the house and the president to reach common ground. until a budget is reached, the automatic spending cuts leaving federal government employees furloughed and closing air traffic control towers will keep on going. david? >> while we're talking about the

budget, reena, i want to ask you a lot of viewers have been tweeting about, joe biden, the vice president, of course in the other number, he rang up this past week. >> reporter: that's right. $1 million for two nights in london and paris hotel for him and his security and staff. the state department secured the hotel contract and they said it's pretty much on par with what they pay for a high-level international trip. i'm guessing the holiday inn wasn't an option. >> reena, thank you. tomorrow morning, on abc's "this week" george's guests include gop karl rove squaring off against former obama adviser jim messina on guns, gay marriage, and developments in the budget you just heard. just hours from now, the giant power ball drawing. perhaps later this evening, an american family with no budget problems at all. tonight, hear a man who's already won the lottery seven times, as we ask him is the quick pick really the worst option? here's abc's rob nelson. >> reporter: most of us have battled our inner procrastinator at one time or another. tonight, time is running out. and $320 million is on the line.

>> i need a lot of reminders. then i feel like the pressure of the deadline. i need to get the ticket. >> reporter: lottery officials say 60% of the power ball tickets are bought on the last day. >> $2 and a dream. >> reporter: but seven-time lottery winner, richard lustig, who wrote a book on how to win the lottery, says waiting until the last minute to buy your ticket won't give you an edge. >> thinking that waiting to the last minute to buy your tickets will increase the chances of winning is absolute foolishness. >> reporter: he doesn't believe in quick picks either. he says, you're better off picking your own numbers. >> every time you get a quick pick, your odds are always going to be at their worst. >> reporter: either way, let's face it. the numbers remain stacked against you in a big way. your odds still stand at 1 in 175 million, as millions of people across 42 states also dream of striking it rich. if you need even more sobering numbers as you clutch your ticket tonight, consider this. you're more likely to become

president, or date a supermodel. on a day like today, it's hard not to get caught up in the power ball frenzy. so excuse me for a minute. i gotta get my tickets. there you go, sir. david, if you don't see me tomorrow this is why. >> duly noted rob, thanks. there is still much more ahead on "world news" this saturday evening. the billion dollar breakup. the husband who built a fortune with help from his wife. so how much does he owe her? weigh in on the debate. coming up here. later tonight what so many of you did, the final tally just in this after the girl scouts were duped. >> thank you, "world news." >> not only are they sold out but there is something else and we'll fill you in when we come back. >> "world news" brought to you by miracle grow. was a record collection. no. there was that fuzzy stuff on the gouda. [ both ] ugh! when it came to our plants... we were so confused. how much is too much water? too little?

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street and possibly internationally. because of the numbers involved. >> reporter: harold hamm is the husband in the dog house. number 35 on the forbes list of richest americans. worth $11 billion. a self-made man who started in the business scrubbing out the inside of oil barrels 50 years ago. >> and there was a lot of oil people around. i had never been around people like that. >> you wanted to be like that? >> i wanted to be like them. >> reporter: sue ann hamm is his wife of 25 years. on the table is his 68% stake in continental resources. the company she helped him build. >> the wife was a lawyer and economist. that's a bad combination for him. >> reporter: without a prenup, this becomes the biggest war of the roses ever. nearly twice the $1.7 billion settlement of the murdochs. by comparison, mel and robyn gibson's settlement seems paltry. if sue ann hamm does win, she becomes one of the richest women in america.

more wealthy than oprah winfrey. >> thank you, steve. when we come back, you'll remember this. ♪ take a close look at the huxtables. there is something in the picture making news years after the hit show gave us so many laughs. i took my son fishing every year. we had a great spot, not easy to find, but worth it. but with copd making it hard to breathe, i thought those days might be over. so my doctor prescribed symbicort. it helps significantly improve my lung function starting within five minutes. symbicort doesn't replace a rescue inhaler for sudden symptoms. with symbicort, today i'm breathing better. and that means...fish on! symbicort is for copd including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. it should not be taken more than twice a day. symbicort may increase your risk of lung infections, osteoporosis, and some eye problems. tell your doctor if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure before taking it. with copd, i thought i'd miss our family tradition. now symbicort significantly improves my lung function,

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we're going to turn to the "instant index" here on a saturday night. march madness. the headline this year -- the upsets and the brackets all over this country decimated tonight. it all started with the harvard upset. 8 million people, including president obama, entering the tournament challenge. with our partners over at espn. after harvard, only about 1200 perfect brackets remained. last night, florida gulf coast beating georgetown. tonight, no one is left in the espn challenge with a perfect bracket. we're going to turn now to the dance moves and the sweaters made famous by the 1980s opening of "the cosby show." mrs. huxtable not the only one waving her fingers tonight. lawyers for bill cosby upset and threatening to sue a man with a company called

cosbysweaters.com. the owner of the website said, are you kidding me? my childhood hero is suing us. let us know what you think. you can tweet me here after the broadcast. and the lines from late night heating up tonight. jay leno making news. after rumors his network wants to replace him with jimmy fallon. he's been unleashing on nbc. >> i had dinner last night with a bunch of nbc executives. to make it up to me, this is what they did. they're sending my wife and i on an all-expenses paid carnival cruise. how about that? wow. >> the network is not commenting tonight. when we come back, this just in. a new message from the duped girl scouts. that $24,000 hoax? what so many of you did and what even we couldn't predict. right after the break. i stepped on the machine, and it showed me the pressure points

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when i was told i couldn't build my product in the united states, i knew they were wrong. "world news" and diane sawyer cared enough about me and my story to want to help. and call. >> world news connected donny and i together, which result this is creates new jobs in the midwest. >> i'm living proof of what "world news" and diane sawyer can do together.

work hard, play hard, drink sweet tea. i'm donny mccall, that's my abc "world news" story. finally tonight, what a difference a week makes. last week end, the story of that cruel hoax. tonight, that determined girl scout troop just reporting in to us after getting help from all over the country. and all over the world. they were the girl scouts from portland, oregon, who were so excited. 6,000 boxes of cookies sold in a single order. $24,000 worth. but it was all a hoax. they had big plans for the money they thought they had earned, paying for camp, as so many had done before them. the old posters, cookie boxes. cookie mint, before they were thin mints. when viewers heard of the hoax, scouts had been duped, they heard from little erin right here. >> it makes me so sad. i thought somebody really bought 6,000 cookies. >> reporter: those viewers came to the rescue. more than 1,000 e-mails. lisa said, there really are more

good people in the world than bad people. patty in new hampshire. it broke my heart. i'll by a case of cookies. joanna in florida, a cookie mom herself, i can send money to purchase and have your girls donate them to a nursing home. from afghanistan, the army specialist. we have been gireen given cookim so many people that i would like to help. tonight, the portland girl supreme courts who, just a week ago were so overwhelmed, instead sending us this message. >> all: thank you "world news." >> reporter: with a giant thank you on the board bee hind them, their new plans tonight. >> we have decided to go troop camping and possibly horseback riding. >> reporter: now writing thank you notes and sending them all over the world. they're also doing something else, they tell us. helping other nearby troops with cookies left to sell. helping them get to camp, too. which reminded us of what little erin told us just a week ago.

so simple, but so true. >> girl scouts are very hard workers. >> yes, they are. we loved erin a week ago. and so many people around the world, too. that's the broadcast for this saturday night. i hope to see you right back here tomorrow night. good night, everyone. a statewide manhunt for a man accused of killing his ex-girlfriend. >> several people injured and a

nightclub shut down after a shooting inside the club. the power is going out across the world. what is behind this outage and how you'll be effected tonight. >> ama: good evening, i'm ama daetz. police are looking for juan ramirez accused of stabbing and killing his ex-girlfriend. tonight we learned more about the history between the victim and the suspect. lisa amin gulezian is live with the details. >> lisa: the victim was stabbed in this parking lot yesterday afternoon, and she lives just a few feet away in this apartment complex. now police confirm that the map who is responsible -- man who is responsible for this murder is 25-year-old juan ramirez, and this is the car police believe he is driving, a 1996 dark green toyota 100 pickup truck. investigators believe ramirez

confronted the victim, who is his ex-girlfriend, sandra cruz, from wallace, in this parking lot. they had an argument and suddenly they say ramirez stabbed the young mother several times. >> a very brutal crime, so any help would be appreciated. >> gonzalez has a restraining order against the suspect who had been stalking her for two years. after the stabbing, ramirez ran away and police searched for hours, doing a door-to-door and yard-to-yard search but the suspect got away. >> live, you're looking at family and friends who just arrived. they have cames in their hand and they're here to talk to the family members in the area. police believe that ramirez is heading to mexico. so that why there's an all-state search for the man, and this was san jose's tenth hd hd of --

tenth homicide of the year. i'm lisa amin gulezian. >> ama: tonight, san lee an dough police are looking for two suspects who shot and killed man defending his mother-in-law. police say someone tried to rob a woman who was unloading her car. a 33-year-old man from alameda came to the aid of the woman, his mother-in-law. the unidentified man was shot and killed. police say the suspects are two males, or male and a female. this is san leandro's first homicide of the year. to developing news. san francisco nightclub shut down after a shooting inside the club. happened at a club called 330 rich. to the mass roman is live on the scene with the latest. reporter: one of the men who was wounded in this morning's shootout is now in critical but stable condition, according to police. the club behind me has been close bid the city's entertainment commission, and they've suspended their operating license. now, the future of the club is also in jeopard